


Love Through Time

by SelenitaLunar



Category: Iron Man (Movies)
Genre: Angst, Drama, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Family, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Love, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-08
Updated: 2017-07-14
Packaged: 2018-11-23 00:26:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 18,828
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11391549
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SelenitaLunar/pseuds/SelenitaLunar
Summary: A series of one shots for Pepperony Week 2017. Every story is connected and happening in the same timeline. A lot of fluff, love and sexy times.





	1. Touch

**Author's Note:**

> Special Thanks to my awesome beta: a-citizen-of-asgard because she's the reason my inner writer voice sounds right in English. Thank You Shannon for helping me when I needed you. You are THE BEST.

**2014**

Pepper Potts wriggled her hands nervously for the umpteenth time this morning. As the doctors kindly told her as soon as Tony left the operating room, the open heart surgery had been a great success. She tried to reassure herself that everything was going to be okay and sighed again. Seeing Tony lying so helpless in that hospital bed was slowly killing her.

It had been an entire week that he'd been fighting between consciousness and unconsciousness, but he never ended up staying with her more than a few seconds. Pepper hadn't left his side since he was moved to his own room and away from the ICU.

Today, like every day, she was bent over him again, taking his big hand in her own, caressing it softly, hoping that her gentle touch will awaken him. Her golden red hair gently brushed his beard like a protective balm, but the intravenous painkillers were strong and Tony hadn't been able to recognize her yet, or to remain conscious long enough to speak to her or let her know that he's okay. To think about it was so disheartening that Pepper collapsed against his bed and hot tears rolled down her cheeks, so she raised her other hand to her face in order to clean them with the sleeve of her pristine indigo shirt. She didn't want Tony to see her cry, even when he's unconscious.

That's what Tony Stark would have found in front of him had he possessed the strength to open his eyes. A mess of a Pepper Potts. But it's not the case. He's going to sleep for some more hours.

When he finally tried to open his eyes slowly, tentatively, the midday sunshine was excessively annoying for his contracted pupil, so he tried to take a hand to his face to protect himself from the damned rays of light, but he couldn't because someone was holding it. And it smelled like lavender hand wash, that special smell that only one person he knew uses…

"Ummmm Pep… Is that you?" He whispered quietly.

An inexplicable joy ran through Pepper's body as she heard his familiar voice, the voice she would recognize anywhere in the world, under any circumstances. That precious voice.

"Tony?" She asked tentatively pulling her arm away from her face so she could see him.

"Yeah, I, Ummm… I'm thirsty…" He mumbled, his voice hoarse because of all the time he hadn't been able to use it.

Pepper quickly brought him a plastic cup of water and put the straw on the nightstand over the drink.

"There you are… Drink slowly, honey…"

Tony drank with gratitude, and more quickly than would be advisable in his delicate situation, so soon began to cough.

"Easy there…" Pepper said withdrawing the cup firmly as soon as he started coughing. "Oh Tony I'm so glad you're awake…" When he began breathing normally again she gave him more water until he was sated. Then left the cup on the nightstand.

Pepper looked at him exultant with happiness, caressing his brown soft hair with tenderness. Almost without being able to believe what she was seeing. He's awake, and good, and talking.

"Welcome, back Tony… How are you?" She asked sweetly.

"As if I just had a bus rolling over me..." Tony made the gesture of touching his chest with his free hand, and immediately roams over bandages and tape. He immediately pushed her away and made his second attempt to get up from the bed. "Tell me I don't have a car battery attached to my body..."

His girlfriend raised her eyebrows, worried, but the impish smile he displayed over his lips gave him away. He's kidding. So she immediately pushed him onto the bed again, exerting pressure on his hips, so as not to hurt him in the chest.

"Ha ha so funny Tony… You already know you don't. They took the ARK away and now you only have that naughty heart of yours and your sternum in that hole, and they are still healing, by the way. The wound is still fresh, so please try not to get up."

"Yeah, yeah Nurse Potts. Got it" He said then, trying to get comfortable back to bed. He made a face.

"Are you hurting a lot?" She worriedly asked seeing his pain.

"No, no it's not so horrible as it seems, Pep…" He stammered quickly seeing her worried face. "Besides, everything will be better from now on. You' ll see."

Pepper's blue eyes sparkle merrily at once, matching the huge grin on her face.

"I'm so glad to see you awake and joking, I started to believe that..."

"Did you think I wasn't going to wake up? You weren't going to get rid of me so easily, Potts."

"Haha... Does open heart surgery seem so easy to you Mr. Stark?"

"It is for the surgeon who did it. Dr. Wu has a lot of practice…" He said smiling back.

Pepper hit his left shoulder with much less force than usual for her, but Tony picked up the message. Stop teasing your poor and suffering girlfriend.

"Don't mistreat a poor recovering patient, woman. I was only stating the truth here, Pep. I wouldn't have left my heart in his hands if otherwise. He's top of his game. And I trust him entirely… By the way, do you have the package?"

The redhead loosened the grip on his hand only for a brief moment, then rummaged in the first drawer of the hospital cabinet next to them and showed him a transparent container. Inside of it is the everglowing ARK reactor and all the small pieces of shrapnel that have been extracted from his body.

"Here they are. Just as you asked, they gave them to me. I still don't know what you intend to do with this." Pepper sighed, pointing to one of the smaller metal pieces. "I understand you wouldn't want your ARK reactor technology to get in the wrong hands again… We already had our fair share of wrongdoing with that… But the shrapnel? Unfortunately, all the bombs in the world carry these damn things inside… It's not Stark exclusive tech… At all…"

Tony simply threw a small, enigmatic smile in her direction and Pepper could swear that his tired eyes lit up for a brief moment.

"Just keep them safe." He briefly clarified. "And now come here and give me a good welcome kiss. I don't know how long I've been unconscious, but it must have been a lot."

Pepper looked at him tenderly, putting the transparent container away, and walked to his bed, sitting down beside him. She caressed his forehead and cheek with sweetness.

"A whole week, my bold hero" Then she leaned in and kissed his lips gently, then broke away from him.

"That's it?" Her bewildered boyfriend glanced back at her. "This is what you call a proper kiss? Pep, what happened to us in these seven days?" He teased.

"You're weak, you idiot. I don't want to hurt you" She immediately retorted in a sweet tone. "Get better soon, and you'll have more."

"Whatever you say, honey" He answered before yawning loudly. "Speaking of idiots, where the hell is Rhodey?"

"He had to go back to the United States. Orders of the highest instances. That means the president. He did what he could, but he had to leave, left two days ago for Washington D.C."

"Is this his way of accomplishing the express order I gave him about taking care of you? Then he leaves you alone in a foreign country with an unconcious boyfriend? Have friends for this…"

"Tony, be reasonable. He was with me until you were out of danger... He wanted to stay. He delayed his departure all he honestly could…"

"He didn't wait for me to wake up from this narcotic cloud…" He continued sulking. "He goes away and changes me for the president at the very first opportunity and sure he will still want me to make him a new suit of armor in order to take care of that jerk…"

"It's his job, honey… He's the president's bodyguard, and that goes for obeying orders."

"Yeah, I get it… But he'll repay me for this… Greatly…"

Pepper stroked his hair affectionately, trying to calm him down.

"Come on, don't fret, rest. I know you were hoping to find him here and that you miss him..."

"I don't miss him..." He was lying and Pepper knew it. She knows him too well. "I was just hoping he would be here... Taking care of you. That's all. Auahhh..."

Tony yawned again. He directed a solemn look of boredom towards the intravenous medication and the iv in his left arm. Then he noticeed how his eyelids began to become heavy again.

"Pep, the damn narcotics are stunting me again, come here…" He said drawing her close to his face to whisper in her ear. "I want to get out of this hospital as soon as possible." He succeeded in asking before his strength failed him. "As soon as I'm able to walk. Have the jet ready. Start getting ready for our return home."

The redhead sighed deeply and nodded affirmativaly to him as her boyfriend hit the pillow and fell back asleep.

"Okay," She whispered into his ear, unsure of whether he heard her or not.

Her man has such a blatant hate for hospitals she thinks amused.

When Pepper looks at his face again, he is already fast asleep. She smiled to herself and relaxed on the nearby chair, much calmer. She immediately took out her Stark Tablet from her purse and started to work. Now that she knew that Tony was doing well and that he is going to recover, she can go back to putting their business affairs in order. It's been awhile since she has been recovering from Extremis herself. She didn't miss the burning heat igniting her insides. It's been gone for a month and all is well in her world.

**Three months later**

The night is hot for New York. Tony knows it's the city where he was born but he can't help feeling like a stranger here tonight. He missed his Malibu house, badly. All the moments he shared with Pepper there now rested under the sea and their new home is the tower. It was a sad thought but, after all they went through, the mechanic had decided to look into their future. He won't have a better occassion than tonight to go through with his plan, Tony thinks as he plays with the engagement ring between his fingers. It's date night again, the first one in a long time.

They had just had dinner alone in the attic because he booked the entire rooftop of the Hilton for the two of them to celebrate they are alive after enduring procedures and surgery. Before Pepper came back from the bathroom, Tony puts back the engagement ring in its black velvet case to keep it secure in his jacket pocket. Then pulled out the other box, this one is blue velvet and without a doubt, giving her the pendant was going to be much easier. He held it in his hands, trying to take a deep breath and calm down.

The view is perfect. The skyscrapers rise to the sky like giants made of colors and to Tony it seems that they give him subtle winks. It is chill out here, and yet his hands are still sweaty. Pepper must have guessed that something strange was happening, the woman of his life is not stupid, she is too clever, she must be figuring out what is he hiding since she crossed the door of the restaurant and found it empty waiting for them, but she has had the good taste not to mention anything to him during the evening.

Familiar gentle arms wrap around his waist pulling him out of his reverie. He decided not to move for a while, resting together like that, while soft strands of golden red hair caress his neck.

"Staring at the stunning view, Mr. Stark?" Pepper asked after a few seconds.

"What's with us and rooftops Ms. Potts?" Tony answered trying not to sound anxious.

He turned slowly in order to look at her and in doing so the blue velvet box between his hands comes into her line of sight. Pepper stared briefly at it, then looked at him. Before the charm breaks, Tony opened it to show her the pendant.

"A heart shapped ruby?" His Pepper asked, feeling somewhere between surprised and flattered. Her slender fingers roamed over it carefully, as if she's afraid to break it. Then she stared intently at it, realization owerhelming her with feelings "This is... Tony... No, do not tell me the chain is made of... Is it what I think it is?" Her gaze focussed on the tiny, bright bits of shrapnel.

"Yes" He answered, his voice deep and nearly trembling "It is yours and I want you to keep it. I mean… You've had it for a long time… It's just… I… Pep…"

Pepper wanted to hug the hell out of him until he realized the wonderful man he's always been. Even when the world still didn't know. Oh but she did. She always KNEW.

Now they are gazing intently into each other's eyes. Their expressions full of tenderness and love.

"Your heart" she finally gets the courage to say out loud, fighting back tears of emotion.

Tony nodded not looking away. Suddenly he swallowed hard and let out the breath he didn't know he had been holding. She loves it and doesn't find it weird or inappropiate. Two hearts beating as one.

"Come here, baby. Turn around. I'm going to put it on" He finally managed to say.

Pepper was so moved that she felt her eyes get wet with tears and suddenly she couldn't breathe, despite the cool breeze that surrounds them. She did what he asked. Pulls her hair back gracefully and lets him wrap the beautiful pendant around her neck. The velvet box lays forgotten at a nearby cocktail table. Something melts inside her as she feels the weight of the precious gift on her skin. Pepper couldn't help but think that not so long ago it was herself who tried to convince him with a special gift of her own that he did have a heart, a big one in fact... And now Tony was giving it to her...

When he finished closing the clasp, Tony caressed her shoulders and arms softly, inviting her to turn and look back at him. In doing so, Pepper became lost in his dark gaze full of love. Her right hand slid up, caressing his cheek with affection, and Tony closed his eyes shut, losing himself in the warm sensation. Their foreheads touched intimately. Tony's big warm hands didn't let go of the small shoulders of his girl, in that unique and special way he has always cherised only to her. That one gesture that has always meant so much between them, even before they were romantically involved.

Then they kissed slowly and sweetly in the moonlight, pouring all their emotions of happiness, belonging and love into it.

"I love you, Pep"

"I love you too"

Her eyes are sparkling, Tony noticed. He then kissed her on the forehead and without any warning grabbed her by the hand and started walking back inside the magnificent restaurant.

"Let's dance, baby. I asked for a very special song."

Pepper smiled, and her smile at this moment would be able to illuminate the universe with the force of a supernova. The pianist is playing her favourite song. The very same song that was playing all those years ago when they danced together for the first time at the Firefighters Family Fund Gala.

His hand is on her back, warm and steady. They'd only been dancing a few minutes in gentle cadence when Tony's playful voice whispered in her ear:

"That dress fits you so perfectly, Pep. Do you know where it would look even better?"

"Let me guess… On your bedroom's floor?" she retorted arching an inquisitive brow.

"That's right. You know me too well" Tony whispered back. And then shook his head.

She smiled devilishly at him. Her eyes bright.

"Just wait some more minutes, love. I'm enjoying myself so much. It's been awhile since we danced together to this song…"

"I love this too, Pep… Not in a hurry at all" He reassured her.

She made him close his mouth with a quick kiss on the lips.

"But later tonight… We are going to have lots of sexy fun. I want to celebrate that you are finally recovered. Thank you my love for an unforgettable evening, and for the precious gift."

"You are the best, baby" He smiled at her broadly. "It's me who is celebrating being in love with the most gorgeous woman in the world."

Tony drew her towards him, closing the gap between their bodies, his chin resting over her shoulder. They kept moving with the music as a bit of sadness lingers in his eyes as he thinks about the other box he kept buried in his jacket pocket. He didn't have the courage to ask her to marry him. He felt like such a coward. He kissed Pepper on the forehead out of the blue, silently apologizing to her for being so afraid. Afraid of commitment. Afraid of her refusal. Afraid of not being good enough for her.

Afraid of losing her.


	2. Dream

**2008**

The summer sun was hot against her skin filling her with a soft delicious feeling. Half asleep on the fluffy cotton towel, Pepper tried to open her eyes, but even through her dark sunglasses the intense glow bothered her.

Suddenly she felt a large, callused hand on her abdomen, tracing soft circles in the form of caresses. She abandoned herself to the soft touch, delighted. Slowly the hand began to rise above her breasts, to her neck, spreading more caresses without haste, taking it's time. She thought it was a familiar touch, pleasant, intense.

And then soft, warm lips were on hers. A playful tongue made it's way into her mouth, and she allowed herself to be kissed. She didn't quite know why, but she did anyway. Timidly at first, passionately afterwards, she invited him to take over her mouth completely, matching his desire, letting his tongue run every inch inside her mouth and savouring her lips with delight.

It ended too soon and Pepper felt that it had been the best kiss she had been given in her entire life. Small quick kisses from those juicy lips against her own followed, as if they were never going to let her go from that embrace on the beach, over the sand.

Suddenly, her analytical brain took control and Pepper began to wonder who the hell was doing this to her and who was she with, so she subtly shifted into the arms of her mysterious companion.

"You are incredible, Potts. Always so tense. Not even able to relax when we are on vacaction. On a remote Caribbean Island. You and I. Alone."

Virginia flinched, and straightened up as fast as she could as she heard THAT unmistakable male voice in that sensual tone, in such a situation and addressed to her!

"What the hell, Tony! It's Dominica. The private beach of a five star hotel to be specific. And we are not alone, alone… You know that. We are here for a negotiation…"

He brushed off his sunglasses and opened his eyes wide with surprise.

"That went fairly well, yesterday. Today on the other hand is only ours to enjoy, my beloved friend."

Tony Stark, her boss, Stark Industries CEO and her worst nightmare.

"I'll never go on a vacation with YOU. If you are there it isn't leisure time." She retorted. "Proof being you already disturbed my peace"

"Okay Pep, that hurt…" He said feigning rejection.

She blushed hard remembering the kisses and his hands over her body.

"Yeah but that doesn't explain… Why did you kiss me and… And… You…"

She was nervous he could tell. Nearly angry but also excited. He simply stared intently at her, shrugged, threw at her his charming trademark smile and finally said in a disappointed tone:

"I just thought it would be a good idea to replay last night's reverie. I thought we had a good time and maybe being sober would be even better. It did not seem to be hard for you to keep up with my rythm." He raised his eyebrows, giving her a sexy wink.

"What?" She asked startled and getting as away from him as she could.

Pepper tried to clear up her mind about the surprising fact that Tony Stark had just blurted out to her that apparently they had slept together the night before and most surprisingly that he wanted to repeat the experience. She must have been totally wasted to allow such a thing. But what disturbed her the most was his raw determination to repeat it. He had never slept twice in a row with the same woman, for God's sake! She tried to calm down and take a deep breath as she gazed at him. She must be hallucinating all of this. There is no other logical explanation.

Suddenly, her gaze and his collided. His intoxicating appearance was making her very nervous. That muscular body, gilded by the sun, his bare torso, tonned muscles, leaving nothing to the imagination except what was covered by the bright red trunks.

Those intense brown eyes riveted on her. Pepper was very selfaware of her half-naked figure as she was wearing a simple light blue two-piece bikini.

She swallowed hard and turned away again, very angry with him for starting this nonsense and with herself. What the hell was wrong with him? She stood and started walking towards the seashore, feeling the cool breeze on her face, letting the soft sand crunch under her feet, tickling her as the water licked them back and forth, softly and quietly.

She stayed like this for minutes, staring at the beautiful calming landscape of transparent turquoise waters and white sand. Then a warm big hand was on her shoulder, the familiar touch unmistakable. Tony was finally beside her again. Pepper knew that she couldn't avoid him forever and that doing so wouldn't make things easier anyway. So she turned to face him.

"You already regret it" His voice was full of sadness, something that always worried her, because he was more fragile than he wanted the world to know. "Wow 12 hours and you are already hating me… I know we are both sober right now and… I don't know. I've been stupid for believing that you… It doesn't matter. I'm sorry Pepper. I truly am. Can we forget it and keep living our lives as if nothing happened?"

His mood had changed. He was truly in pain. Pepper could feel his dissapointment. She felt bad for not remembering anything about last night. Maybe something big happened between them? Could it be? She decided to ask him right away. He was her best friend after all, and she didn't want him to suffer.

"What happened last night? Something happened? Between us? Tony are you saying that? Why would we risk our great friendship and our profesional relationship like that? It doesn't sound like us at all…"

He breathed hard. This was going to be difficult to deal with.

"I don't know, honestly. You threw yourself at me. You had too many drinks, probably. I had too many drinks too. But that's no news." He paused embarrassed with himself. "I may get you some more daikiris if that's what it takes to get you all kissy and touchy with me again". He blinked jokingly at her, trying to soften the mood. "I thought maybe… It meant something…"

Pepper didn't laugh. She was completely taken aback.

"I don't remember. Anything." She honestly said.

"You don't even remember. Perfect. This is worst than I thought" He quietly whispered brushing his eyes with both hands. He was finding breathing hard.

"But I believe it was a foolishness and I assure you it won't happen again." Her voice slightly cracked "If you need it I can leave the job and resign tomorrow morning."

Tony stared at her for a long moment raising his arms into the air vehemently.

"Yeah, that would be great! Don't you see? It's not me regretting it and I don't think it was foolish, Pepper. And of course I don't want you to resign. I'll be totally lost without you." He smiled for the first time since he told her. "I could even act like it never happened, it wouldn't be the first time after all… But the truth is I don't want to."

And suddenly, without another word, he took her in his arms and brought her with him into the water. The contact with her sun-tanned skin was extremely cold, and Pepper shuddered, not entirely sure that it was only due to abrupt changes in temperature.

"Let me go! Tony… Don't… Don't!"

She felt bristling every inch of her skin, including a very specific place in her anatomy just beneath both triangles from the top of her tiny light blue bikini. Suddenly Tony released her, letting her fall on the turquoise water so that the sea would bathe her completely. Pepper found herself standing with the water at shoulder height. Once free, she began to splash and scream like a possessed woman as she attacked him with bursts of water in the midst of an improvised war.

"You are an idiot Stark! How you dare throwing me into the water withouth warning… It's cold and I'm gonna kill you!"

She couldn't finish the sentence because suddenly Tony was kissing her. When they parted, he smiled broadley at her.

"You're so funny when you get angry and flushed..." He only said, looking at her longingly.

Pepper was absolutely taken aback this time. She didn't know what to think anymore.

That was purely Tony behavior except for the kiss and that longing look. He would never cross that line while openly flirting with her. She knew that.

And then his warm hands where on her back, playing with the laces of her bikini and his lips on hers again, devouring her senseless. She thought about pushing him back but it was so good, it was warm, sweet and passionate… She didn't have the courage to stop him anymore. He was touching her everywhere now and her insides where slowly melting in flames. Pepper realized that she had secretly longed for his touch for so long, so she deepened the kiss and threw herself into his warm embrace, skin on skin. When they parted both were struggling to catch their breaths and were smiling imbued in a wave of inexplicable desire.

"You are incredible, Pep" Tony whispered in a muffled breath. "I always knew you'd be irresistible. That you'd feel amazing between my arms"

Pepper blinked fast trying to make sense of his lasts words that pounded in her mind.

"Wait, what?" She stared at him. "You lied to me, we did nothing last night!"

Tony moved his head affirmatively. He'd been caught. But to hell with everything. Now he knew for sure she wanted him as badly as he wanted her.

"We didn't go further because you were too wasted. Maybe I'm a drunken idiot but I still respected you and our friendship and brought you to your bed. But you did initiate something" He explained. "I felt things when you slurry kissed me repeatedly last night. It was intense, I can't explain but I remember every detail. This morning I was so happy. I was glad it happened to be honest" He smiled. "I wanted it to happen again but this time we would both will be in control of our senses and remember it"

"Tony? But this is madness!" She exclaimed puzzled.

"No time for doubting yourself!" He added fearing her seconds thoughts about the situation they were getting into. Hell be damned.

So he kissed her again and roamed his hands caressing her back. Slowly, taking his time, he gently and expertly removed the top of the bikini, leaving it tied around her neck and resting on her back. With soft and unusual tenderness he kissed her neck, biting and sucking, slowly lighting her with desire. His hands undid the loop on the lower part of her bikini, letting it hang off her leg. Then her hands moved down, she undressed him and they were both naked, body against body. They made love slowly and gently in the water, between agitated sighs and content desire that exploded between them both like pure fireworks. Pepper sighed and whispered his name between gasps Tony, Tony, Tony until suddenly a strange hum buzzed briefly. In the midst of intense waves of pleasure the buzzing became even more intense.

"Do you hear that?" She asked intrigued, angry and bewildered.

"No…" He retorted and continued kissing her.

Suddenly, all the incredible sensations died in an agonizing second. Tony disappeared, everything was dark and only that clear buzzing was heard bipbipbipbip bipbipbipbip.

Suddenly, Virginia Potts understood everything.

It was the sound of the alarm. Her digital alarm clock. It was time to get up and go to work. Wrapped in her own sweat and still wildly aroused, she sat up on the bed in her small apartment in Malibu.

"Oh My God, Damned dream!"

Truth be told, the personal assistant wasn't entirely sure that it was a dream or a nightmare.

She stretched out arms and legs, opened her eyes slowly and heavily, turning her gaze to the digital alarm clock on the nightstand. 7 am. *Perfect, Tony's plane doesn't leave until 10* She sighed deeply, swung her legs out of the sheets and stood up, cursing her damn hormones for making her dream of such unrealistic situations. Pepper took off her two-piece pajamas and jumped into the shower. *Better cold water this morning* she thought. Surely Tony, the real one, and not that absurd romantic hallucination created by her own mind, would not even remember that today was her birthday. If it depended on him, he wouldn't even bother flying to the other side of the world for that presentation of weapons and missiles to the army in Afghanistan. But Stane had forced his hand and he had no choice.

Pepper bit her lower lip as she got out of the shower and started drying herself with the towel, she admitted in front of the mirror that she was going to miss him a little… He was her friend after all and the office always felt strangely quiet without him… Yeah she convinced herself it was totally normal as she was putting her underwear on.

Finally she buttoned up the white blouse, pulled up the navy blue tube skirt and picked up the matching jacket from the wardrobe. She slid it over her arms delicately as her thoughts wandered around what kind of gift with legs coming from a casino in "Las Vegas" would be waiting in the mansion this time lost, angry and fairly confused. She had to leave inmediately to make sure the clothes of the new bimbo were ironed in time. She hoped Tony just brought one home last night and sighed tiredly as she straightened her professional ponytail in front of the dresser mirror and smiled to her reflection. Yeah, perfectly polished and professional.

Pepper liked her job, even if it had its drawbacks, but sometimes Tony was simply maddening. Today she would have to lure him into signing some contracts and deal with several important issues before forcing him into his private jet meanwhile trying to get rid of the new girl he'd fucked.

That absurd nightmare had made her moody and cranky. She sighed. Lots of work was waiting for her, as always, and the day had only just began. Sitting on the bed, she bent down to put on the black Louboutins. She smiled gladly at the fact of having loaded her pretty and very expensive electric blue evening dress on her boss's credit card. It was ideal to wear at the charity party that she had marked on her agenda in three months. After all, Tony always forgets to get something for her on her birthday. Moreover, he had to compensate her somehow for getting into her dreams in such a torrid and ominous way. She picked up her bag from the hall, put her Blackberry inside as well as the apartment keys. Yep, she was ready to leave for the Malibu Mansion.

A faint smile of satisfaction crept to her lips as she left the house, bound for work like every morning.

But today it's her birthday and she has plans for the evening that doesn't involve Tony Stark.


	3. Maria

**2024**

Tony knows for sure he's never loved anyone so deeply and unconditionally before.

He loves Pepper, of course. He's loved his wife for a good bunch of years now. But nothing could have prepared him for this. He can't stop staring at her, so pure, so innocent, so beautiful. The perfect genetic combination of Pepper and himself.

She's only six years old and is sitting happily leaning against him on the big white coach in the living room. She has half her body drapped all around him, that little hand resting where the ark reactor used to be. They had been watching some Disney movie about a blue fish, but Tony hasn't been paying a lot of attention to it. By this hour in the day he's exhausted. Being a father is the hardest work he's ever done. Beats saving the world. Yeah, that hard. He smiles to himself again. He wouldn't change it for nothing.

It's a bit late and the little one is starting to feel heavy against him, struggling in keeping her little brown eyes open. Tony gently fondles her back.

"Hey, peanut I think it's time for you to hit the bed"

Those gorgeous brown eyes open at once and look at him defiantly.

"The movie is still on, Daddy. I want to see how it ends" Then she yawns.

"But you have been sleepy for nearly half an hour Maria. I'm sure you don't even know what's happened to that fish since it ended in the big aquarium. Tomorrow's Saturday, we can see it again and maybe if she's feeling a lot better, Mommy will join us." He tries to convince her.

"The name's Doryyyyyy Dad. You promise?" the child asks hopeful.

"Of course, princess"

Her little hands go to her eyes and pries them open. Cheeks flushed, freckles all across her little button of a nose.

"Okay. But I'm not too tired to hear my bed time story"

Tony laughs and tousles the reddish brown hair of his daughter with delight.

"You are the best negotiator, baby. Just like your mum. Okay. But come on, let's go"

Tony asks Friday to switch off the TV and all the lights in the living room as he carries Maria in his arms. She laughs happily at him and a little strand of reddish brown hair in a braid brushes against his shirt. He looks at her again, all big eyes, sweet toothless smile…

She's so beautiful and special that Tony's sure she's a miracle.

Once in her room he helps her put on her Iron Man pajamas. He's never seen so much pink glitter and gold stars decorating an Iron Man suit before but he's so proud that she loves them so much that he doesn't even care about the aesthetics of little girl pajamas nowadays. They brush their teeth together in the main bathroom and once she's ready he pulls back the sheets of the bed for her and she crawls in, shifting until she finds herself comfortable.

"Now, don't go Daddy, tell me an Iron Man story! Please?" Maria looks at him pleadingly showing him the spot where she wants him to sit near her.

Tony melts a little more inside. Maria loves the sugar coated tales he makes up about his exploits as a superhero. He tries to make them fun and exciting but leaves out all the dangerous and scary parts. She's too young to know the truth.

"Okay, princess. Your wish is my command. So listen to that time that Iron Man saved an entire city… This was way before you were born…"

When he ends the bed time story some minutes later, his daughter has taken his right hand between her chubby little ones, she's gotten up and is smiling brightly, looking at him like he is a wonder out of this world.

"You are the best Dad in the entire world!" she says vehemently.

Tony's heart melts in the spot. He's unable to contain his feelings and maintain his cool. Two pairs of big brown eyes are staring at each other full of the purest kind of love. He doesn't even notice, but two single tears are rolling down his cheeks as he swallows hard, unable to breathe for a few seconds.

Maria sees the tears in his father eyes and tries to get one of them with her hand.

"Are you okay Daddy, are you in pain?" She suddenly asks worried.

The voice of his princess brings him back to reality. His little girl is confused, her nose wrinkled and the freckles in her face all the more visible because of her furrowed brows.

"No my princess. Daddy's just so happy" He tries to reassure her but his voice trembles. "I'm the happiest I've ever been in all my life because I have you at my side Maria"

She smiles broadley at him, eyes full of wonder.

"I love you so much, Daddy"

"I love you too, sweetheart"

He gets up and helps her lay down and put her blankets on again, kissing her goodbye in the forehead. Then switches off the lights and leaves the room.

He's still in shock and hardly breathing when he reaches his and Pepper's bedroom. Oh God, he thinks, nobody told him about this neverending river of unconditional love for his little girl. It's owerhelming. She has him wrapped around her little finger.

An extremely tired Pepper is waiting for him sitting in her part of the bed with a red nose, watering eyes and a tissue in her hand.

"Did you just send Maria to bed? It's a bit late for her" She asks him, voice still raspy. She even coughs a little.

Tony's still lost in his own thoughts as he enters the room and sits beside her ocupying his own part of the bed.

"Tony? Don't get too close or you'll catch the cold too. And one of us needs to look after Maria we can't be both sick at the same time…" She stops when his proximity allows her to see his face. "Honey, are you okay?"

Finally her husband snaps out of his thoughts.

"Pep, yeah I'm okay… I… I just kissed Maria goodnight. It's just… She's awesome you know?"

"Yeah, that I know… Thanks for taking such good care of her while I'm here in bed tired as fuck. I'm much better than yesterday, by the way."

"Good honey. Maria missed you tonight. She misses your cooking the most. Let's say I did two omelettes for dinner and you know how bad that can go…"

They both laughed.

"But you know I love taking care of our little peanut. Weird coming from me uh?"

"No Tony, it's not weird. You love her so much. You are a great father. Give yourself the credit. All your worrries about being capable of raising a child had no reason whatsoever. You are not your dad…You've never been..."

He looked at her intently and locked a strand of red hair around her ear.

"You know what's funny? Our daughter just said to me… She she said…" He choked. There was that overwhelming sensation in the pit of his stomach again.

"What?" Pepper asked, a little worry in her voice. "It must have been something big for you to be like this... You're nearly shaking, honey. Come here…"

His wife engulfed him in a big hug, cold be damned and all that. He needed a hug and she would give it to him. She calmly comforted him, stroking his back soothingly. After a few minutes he finally felt better dealing with his emotions and let go of her.

"Our daughter is incredible, Pepper. Wonderful. But somehow that's natural, because she's ours and she couldn't be any other way. Specially because she knows…"

"Can you stop rambling and tell me right away what has you in this states of euphoria?"

"She told me I'm the best dad in the entire world. She said it like that. Right away: You are the best dad in the entire world"

He was so happy and puzzled. It was funny. Pepper looked amazed and then smiled broadley at him.

"And you were shaking like a leaf because you couldn't believe her, right? You're on the verge of tears, conflicted because you haven't allowed yourself to believe her words. Am I right?"

He nodded affirmatively ashamed of his own trust issues. She caressed his cheek tenderly.

"Drunks and children always speak the truth, Tony. You think you would know better than anyone…"

He smiled at the pun, remembering the last time he was that drunk around her as to say something he later would regret: the birthday party and the palladium poisoning. He'll have to ask Pepper what did he say that's so amusing to her.

"So… Do you think is true?" He asked instead. "I mean, she's so little. Barely six years old… So innocent yet… She can't really know…"

"Precisely, if she said it is because she feels it from her heart. It's your daughter, Tony and she adores you. It can't be possible you didn't notice how much she loves you. You can't be a more of a Daddy's girl than Maria is."

"Yeah, of course I noticed… I adore her too. But hearing her say it with that look of adoration on her little face... It was so amazing, Pepper. You should have been there… I…"

Pepper leaned into him and kissed him in the lips.

"I'm so glad we have such a smart and honest daughter. And I hope this serves as a lesson Mr. Stark. I Hope you remember once and for all that you deserve to be happy. And that you are capable of the best. And no, I don't wanna hear you contradict me. I'm right in this. Do you hear me?"

"Yeah Pep. I…"

"Good night, Tony" She said kissing him again. "I'm exhausted, honey. Let's get some sleep"

Then she rested her head on the pillow and got comfortable in her preferred sleeping position.

Tony was about to open his mouth again but in the last second, he decided against it and instead, moved lying closer to Pepper, wrapping her into his arms in search of sleep. Both intertwined in the center of the bed. His wife smiled slightly, eyes closed, enjoying the warmth of his embrace. She fell asleep thinking about how funny it was that the loving words of their daughter had had such an effect on Tony. She thought that life was strangely perfect for them in that quiet moment of happiness and wished for their good luck to never change.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just love Iron Baby Girl... Don't judge me. Dad Tony and Mom Pepper are my fave incarnations. I love to imagine them having a family. ^^


	4. Love

**2008**

**Pepper** sighed deeply again, her wonderful electric blue dress with no back was making her feel cold again. It was strange because until that moment she had felt way too hot, too much heat between her body and his… She sighed deeply. It had been a long time since Tony left for the drinks. Where the hell could he be? She glanced at her wristwatch. Half an hour. The lights of the Los Angeles landscape blinked on the horizon as she stroked her arms with both hands trying to warm herself up. It was getting colder by the minute. She waited a little longer and finally surrendered to the evidence. Surely Tony would have met some aspiring model or actress at the party. Or any other woman who had a taste for scandal and wasn't his personal assistant, who he had to face every morning whether or not something happened between them. And it was better for everyone that nothing had happened, obviously.

How could she have been so stupid? How had she dared to believe him when he came up to her, saying all those things about how she looked and smelled great and all that nonsense? How had she exposed herself so much, to the point of trying to kiss him? She! But how had she lost so much control of herself? Pepper shivered slightly, not because of the cold night breeze, but due to the mere thought about how vulnerable and exposed she had felt at that moment and how little she liked feeling like that.

Pepper had always felt so proud of being very capable of keeping her feelings for Tony at bay. But those three entire months he was missing... She felt so desperate at the mere thought of not seeing him again. He didn't need to know about the amount of crying involved… That made her realize she cared way too deeply for her boss. It wasn't just friendship or lust.

Tonight she had completely lost her cool in front of him. Tony wasn't a fool, he would have noticed something, and just thinking about the amount of flirty jokes and incorrect behaviour she would have to endure from tomorrow morning, made her seriously reconsider giving up her job. He for sure wouldn't forget that easily. Maybe right now he was trying to impress some brainless bimbo at the party, but when the umpteenth temporary distraction had left his mind, she would become the center of his subtle flirtations and sexy advances again. And she wasn't ready to give him what he wanted. Now less than ever. With what face would she look at him every day after satisfying their mutual lust? With deep feelings in the middle she would get hurt. He only wanted sex but she wanted so much more. It would never work between them. All that night had been a big mistake, and she didn't even know what to do now, how to fix things. She had crossed the professional line. What a mess.

Surely tomorrow I'll have to take out the trash, like every morning… Pepper thought regretfully. Who will she be this time, blonde, brunette, tall, thin? She didn't want to admit that it bothered her. She just wanted to go back to being totally indifferent to Tony's love life. But you can't rule in your own heart and force it not to feel.

This was all your fault. Damnit Tony. Why did you act so weird with me tonight? Why did you ask me to dance? Why did you seemed so smitten with me, like you cared?

Enough she thought. Come to your senses and go home, Virginia. He's not going to come back. He didn't even have the decency to bring you that drink, the bastard. Awful thoughts of selfhate took over Pepper as she crossed the crowded dance floor, as she said goodbye to the shareholders, co-workers, acquaintances... As she walked through the open doors of the Los Ángeles Disney Hall, as she returned to her apartment in a cab, alone.

She couldn't help that feeling. That burning jab in her insides. She felt jealous. Jealous of the woman who was in Tony's arms right now, because that night should have been her. Even if it had been wrong, although she would have regretted it later in the morning.

_It should have been her._

But all these thoughts didn't matter the next morning. When she arrived at the Malibu Mansion with a thousand prepared explanations of why it would be best for her to give up her job. But, contrary to her assumptions, that morning there was no trash to take out. Only Tony, alone in his workshop, wrapped in some kind of metal suit full of bullet holes. Bullet holes! What the hell? And everything else didn't matter anymore, because Tony was crazy and reckless, but resigning her job was not an option anymore and she had to help him. Because he is all she has.

_**And she had to admit that she was totally in love with him.** _

****************************************************************************************************************************************

**Tony** 's gaze had been fixed on the back of his personal assistant as she stepped out of his sight, aiming to accomplish, almost against her will, the mission he had just given her. He leaned back against the chair, and as he tried to put his mind in order, he stopped paying attention to the armor. Potts, his little Potts. He was not sure he wanted to see her in such a dangerous situation, but his conscience did not allow him to look the other way while his company was still murdering people on the other side of the world with total impunity and zero responsability. And he could only trust her.

Pepper.

When all this shit was over they would try to clarify what had happened last night between them, or what could have happened, at that charity party. He liked how it sounded "You're all I have too, you know" Tony rejoiced in mentally savoring the eight words that had re-activated that kind of pleasant sensation inside him. It was warm and made his stomach churn. He was not sure what it was, or maybe he was, but he was not prepared to admit it. He had wanted to kiss her so much. She was jawdroppingly sweet in that amazing blue dress, her beautiful wavy red hair, the sparkle in those wonderful blue eyes... He remembered how he had suggested they took some air in the roof because he had so much trouble even breathing. The ballroom was crowded with people but the real reason for dragging her outside was not the people around them, the reason was her intoxicating presence. Tony was slightly confused because he had wanted other women before, many women. He'd had almost all of them. Some went away. But even when that rare circumstance had occurred, he had never felt so vulnerable and so nervous. As paralyzed as when Pepper Potts leaned towards him on that rooftop to kiss him.

He just couldn't believe it even now. Maybe he had been a big jerk in the past, but this time he felt like he should not have taken advantage of the situation. He was dying to kiss her senseless for all he was worth. But she had just told him that their dance had been hardly appropiate, that it was strange. That she didn't want their co-workers to think they had something going on because of his playboy reputation. And if she was so worried about that and what people might think... He had wanted her there. His desire for her almost maddening but he would never hurt Pepper, ever. Under no circumstance. She was too important. She mattered to him. That was something that was completely crystal clear. And taking that step would have been...

Weird? No, it would have been amazing, the best time of his life. He thought angrily to himself. Shit, Stark! What the hell were you thinking?

But that woman, that wonderful woman, left him paralyzed like a statue. He had never known and was sure that he would never know anyone else who had that power over him. It was not just friendship, it was not just desire, it was the irrefutable proof that he had a heart. And he wasn't willing to admit that word, the one that came to mind at that moment. Not even to his subconscious because… What if she didn't feel the same way for him?

Maybe it would be for the best. Because he didn't deserve her. Now that was the truth. Pepper didn't deserve to suffer. And he was not sure he could make her happy... He had always been a mess. But maybe now he could... He'd changed… Maybe... He let the possibility dance inside his head for a few more seconds. He would never allow her to go away from him, and with time, perhaps he would be able to make himself worthy of her love. Then try to woo her and finally someday end marrying her. Give Pepper his mother's engagement ring. She's the only one who will ever deserve it.

Now he was a new man and would try to be better to others and better for her. Because she was also one of the reasons for Iron Man's existence, that best expression of himself. Even if she never knew. A half-crooked smile crept over his mouth as he focused his attention back on the armor and made a couple more adjustments, here and there. Then he sighed hard.

He was sure he'd never gather enough courage to tell her.

_**To tell Pepper he had just realized that he is hopelessly in love with her.** _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _"Cause I can't help falling in love with YOU"_ **Elvis Presley**


	5. Ring

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: SPOILERS for "Spider-Man Homecoming" :)
> 
> The beginning is similar to another of my "Post-Civil War" fics. I wrote that one last year and it is called "We need to talk" I left this beginning that way because I truly love that setting and I believe that it's what happened between them but their conversation is totally different. The rest is new.

**2016**

It was dark. Not a star in the sky, and Tony Stark was on the roof of the new "Avengers Compound" in upstate New York, feeling utterly miserable and looking sadly into the horizon. Lost in thoughts of what he missed the most: Pepper, some of his friends… It had been a hell of a week, he thought to himself feeling awful. Damned Ross and everything.

Then, when he was least expecting it he smelled a familiar lavender scent and, still in disbelief, turned to see Pepper standing there, one foot behind him, dressed in a beautiful white bussiness suit and staring intently at him. She looked like she'd been crying. But she was here.

After two long months of self - imposed distance.

"Hey!" He had thrown her way trying not to sound desperate. She was beautiful. And he loved her with all his soul. Being near her again, knowing they couldn't go back to being together was terribly difficult. It felt so unnatural. It felt wrong. He wanted to hug her, kiss her…

But he knew far too well he couldn't.

"Tony… I'm here because I need to talk with you" Was all she answered back. "It's important"

He started waking towards her slowly and stared into her blue eyes. Waiting. She looked nervous, probably because both were so near each other and alone on that roof. After all that had happened between them.

"Well, it sure must be important if you needed to get here to tell me in person. You didn't say much at the hospital when you came to visit Rhodey yesterday" 

"We weren't alone then" Pepper said, the wind disheveling her beautiful red hair. Giving her a fierce look. Damn he needed to stop staring into those beautiful blue eyes before it was too late… "It is between you and me… Yesterday I was in the hospital because of Jim. This is different…"

"All is fine, Pepper" He tried to reassure her and himself. "I know what you said at the hospital. That you were worried about me. That I could have died in that hellhole in Siberia and you would have know about it in the news… That I was probably emotionally instable and out of my mind. That you feel so sorry about what happened with Mom and Dad. I know you'll always be my friend and you'll be there for me. I know that." Tony paused. He breathed hard. "I know that doesn't mean we are going back together like nothing ever happened between us. I know why you decided to leave and give our relationship some time…"

Pepper moved foward and caressed his cheek sweetly. She was cold and he was warm. And familiar. And she loved to touch him again. Had missed him so much.

"I just… I shouldn't have left you like that, Tony. Now I know. But I needed space, because I just couldn't live like that anymore... This is hard for me…" She stammered, breathing heavily.

"It's okay, I'm listening. Take your time" He said caressing her shoulders soothingly.

"Oh Tony… Do you remember I had a dad, right?"

He noded in a yes. "Yeah I didn't get to know him a lot before he died… Our youth together wasn't my best time, I'll give you that… But yeah I kind of remember your Dad. Big man, big smile… John Potts, right?"

"Yeah." Pepper retorted biting back a tear. "He died in 2003"

"I remember." Tony said. "I tried to be with you at the funeral. Sure I wasn't of much help back then with all the booze running trough my veins… Sorry for that, sweetheart. It was so hard for me to stand still and sober in a cementery, in front of a tomb, for obvious reasons…"

He was so cute when he tried so desperately to justify his old day's behaviour… She understood him then and understood him even more nowadays. Pepper threw a little anguished smile in his direction.

"I never told you he died because he was an idiot who liked driving his car too fast. For obvious reasons too… I didn't want to bring back your own parents car accident, Tony… But now that we know the truth of what happened with your family… That sort of removed something inside me." She explained, voice soft. "My dad had too much to drink that night after work and got into an argument with another driver's car that resulted in him losing control of his own and dying instantly in the road. The policeman that told us what happened, said it was his reckless behaviour that evening what killed him."

Tony opened his eyes wide. Horribly surprised by her words. And suddenly struck with the truth. Pepper stopped to regain her composure.

"My mother, my brother Daniel and I lost him so suddenly. He went off to work, like everyday and he never returned. It was so hard to get going with our lives after that."

Tony was truly broken at this point in the conversation. He hugged her against him, letting her sob soundly against his shoulder. Maybe he wasn't at her side in the past, but he was now.

"We loved him so much. My Mom… She never was the same after that… I just… Tony… When we got together… I just… I couldn't go through that again. I thought I could because I love you so much it hurts when you are not with me… I thought… When I was feeling hopeless about our future together, you said you were done with the Iron Man suits… With putting yourself in danger. You were wrong. But I couldn't wait for you. To worry about you suddenly dying every other day. Leaving me unexpectedly like my father did… Like the day you saved New York, I felt completely devastated. It was too much to bear I…" Her voice cracked and she violently sobbed against his body. "I had to leave, Tony"

"So it wasn't entirely because I broke my promise to you?" He asked trying to understand her fully. "About forgeting the Iron Man suits? About my insane obsession with them?"

"It was mainly because of my fear of losing you Tony. I love you too much!" She cried out in his ear.

"It's okay, Pep. More than okay now that I understand" He whispered into her ear. "I wish I could stop being Iron Man… I truly wish I could… But I can't. Now I know I'll always want to help make the world a better place… I'm so tired though, but I need to be prepared, something's coming to earth. I'm sure, and I need to be capable of saving this planet Pepper…" He stammered. "But I see that for us this means this is the end, then?" He swallowed hard. He loved Pepper so much he couldn't believe their love wasn't enough. He didn't want to live withouth her… Sure, she would be safe away from him. Safe from alien villains and murderers. That was the only hope he could work out of all this mess.

She looked at him with shiny bright eyes, tears sparkling on her face and kept talking.

"But, it hasn't passed a week that I realized that I missed you so much Tony and that being apart of each other was even worse than before. Because I was so worried about you. Fearing someone would tell me you died saving the world, saving us all… But I couldn't talk with you. I needed you with me. I needed to tell you my fears… I couldn't do anything and that sense of impotence was truly devastating…"

Tony sighed deeply. "Pepper I… I'm sorry… I…" He was truly sorry she was suffering because of their mutual love. Love should be good, not devastating. Not that aching pain he wasn't able to calm down right now, piercing through his own heart.

"I love you." Pepper blurted out then. "You know I always will"

"I know." Tony replied with a strangled voice filled with emotion, looking into her blue eyes. "And I love you too." He smiled at her. Hopeful. "I'll always will. I would never love anyone else… For me you'll always be the one…"

"Oh Tony…" She threw herself into his warm embrace. "You are the love of my life."

Some seconds passed by and then Pepper broke the silence again.

"What do you say if we save the world together from now on?" She whispered into his ear smirking at him.

Tony was suddenly shocked.

"Do you want a suit? Because I can totally design one for you..."

"Maybe" She enigmatically answered. "If I'm with you in the middle of the fight I won't worry about your well being so much"

"It's a win-win" He retorted sweetly. "You and I saving the world together. I like it"

Both smiled and then hugged tightly, clinging into each other for dear life under the dark sky for what seemed hours. And that night neither of them felt alone again.

********************************************************************************************************************************

It must be true that time passes by Tony thought during that dinner. It was their first date night since he and Pepper came back together. Since she came back to him and talked with him about her most deep feelings and fears, and they sorted things out together in mutual understanding until they decided to try being in a romantic relationship again.

Those two months without her had been hell and he had a lot of time to think. He'll be damned if he lets her go away from his life again. Tony plays absentmindedly with the little velvet box inside his jacket pocket during dessert and when Pepper says it's time to leave he follows her back to the tower absentmindedly. They chat about lots of things in the car ride home. But in the moment they leave the Avengers Compound parking lot it's their hands who do the talking

Both have missed each other's bodies and things between them start heating up in their private elevator. Caresses and kisses of high voltage that can't wait anymore. Pepper and Tony burst into their private floor at the Avengers Compound, a mess of uncontrolled legs and arms. The engineer's belt is forgotten on the living room floor. And every few steps they stop against the wall to kiss without control. Tony's gray suit jacket flies off once inside the corridor leading to the bedroom. For an instant, the engineer prays to all that is holy that the ring does not come out of the inner pocket of the garment. He is in luck, the jacket falls to the floor with a muffled sound and Pepper is too busy leaving marks on his neck and sucking his earlobe like there is no tomorrow. He loves it so much when she's so passionate. It will leave marks of that firey red lipstick all over his body. She will mark him as hers and he is more than fine with that.

Tony smiles pleasantly against her soft, sweet neck as he traps her between his body and the wall, running her hands down her back through the sumptuous blue dress. She's wearing a blue dress on purpose. She knows what it's making him feel. They are nearly in the bedroom but not there yet. He can't wait anymore.

"Just trust me Pep. Let's do it here… Against the wall… Oh fuck…" Pep's kissing his sensitive neck eaguerly.

"Since when did trusting you bring anyone something good?" She retorts smiling devilishly against his skin.

They try to walk some meters and barely reach the last wall. Pepper is trembling with desire between his hands, reaching out to pull his shirt out off his pants and starts unbuttoning it fiercely. Finally, she manages to pull it off, revealing his muscular chest. She revels on the scar over his heart, where the ark used to be. She kisses it tenderly, then looks possessively at him, her eyes a dark shade of blue, filled with desire.

"Fuck the bed!" She shouts. "I want you. I need you right now. It's been too long…"

He kisses her passionately, pinning her against the wall.

"See? That's what I thought!" He retorts fiercely once the kiss breaks.

Pepper draws him forward and kisses his chest again at the level where his heart beats wildly for her. The redhead's skin burns with desire to melt with him, she needs to feel all of him against her skin. Tony sighs deeply and shifts the zipper of her dress down, kissing each of her shoulders as she slides the fabric of the wide straps down, very low. The dress falls to the ground in a soft whisper of silk and Pepper is exposed in front of him in all her greatness. The underwear is black this time, but tight and lacy like she always wears on special occasions. She takes over his mouth again and kisses him sensuously abandoning her gold-heeled shoes and dress on the floor. He expertely unties her bra and throws it away. Then reaches for the hem of her panties and brings them down her long legs. Pepper helps him lifting her feet off the floor, first one, then the other. He kisses her ankle, her knee, her thigh and her bellybutton on his way back up.

Once she's totally naked, Tony lifts her legs around his waist as he gets rid of his pants and boxers. Then they make love passionately against the wall. Pepper's clutching onto his shoulders for dear life, leaving marks on his back with her manicured nails. Their breathing is erratic, their chests heavily sweaty, both hearts beating fast at the same time. Their mouths devoring each other as they eat their screams of pleasure. The rythm is fast and Pepper's head goes back hard when they both come in each other arms. Totally exhausted. They take some more moments to recover their shaky breathing. She can barely stand and he is holding all her weight the best he can, forehead heavy against the wall. Slowly, with a few giggles from Pepper, they end up sliding all the way down the wall to the cold floor. Once there they both laugh, their heads touching tenderly, holding hands.

Sometime later, Tony takes Pepper in his arms and brings her to the bed. He drops her with care looking at her reddish hair sprawled over the pillow as if he couldn't believe she's back and all his again. He loves her long long hair so much, and he touches it reverently. Things start heating up between them again, tenderly, lovingly this time. Tony lies over her and starts kissing her chest, then her neck, finally her lips slowly and maddening. They are both still naked and he can't stop caressing her back, kissing her collarbone… Soon they are an entangled mess of limbs over the bed. Pepper takes some air and tries to gain better access to his neck when her head suddenly hits the headboard hard.

"Ouch! That hurt!" She screams getting up and lifting her hand to the aching area in the back of her head.

Tony sits, stops the kissing and fondling and looks at her surprised.

"Oh God Pep… Are you okay?" He asks worriedly.

"Yeah! I just hit my head. I'm fine, don't worry. But that's what happens when I trust you, Mr. Stark…" She's totally kidding. Tony can tell. Her big smile throws her away.

His warm hands roam trough her back caressing the skin over her spine, sending shivers of pleasure trough all her body. And then, he tenderly kisses her hair in the same spot that hit the headboard.

"Absolutely amazing sex and a wonderful orgasm?" He asks smiling and raising an eyebrown.

"A good hit against the headboard" She answes back laughing. "Although the sex it's been amazing so far. I can't complain."

Tony stares at her and comes face to face with his favorite blue orbs. They both laugh wildly as their eyes meet. The situation is so hilarious that he can't think of a better moment than now. So he closes his eyes, sighs deeply, grabs Pepper's head, puts an ultra-fast kiss on the top of her red hair and gets up.

"Hey! Where are you going? We are not finished here yet… Things were just getting interesting again…"

"I'll be right back, honey. Just a moment!" He says as he starts walking towards the corridor.

Once he gets to the living room he hovers over his suit jacket and starts searching inside the inner pocket hurriedly.

Pepper in the meantime, has crouched over the center of the bed, hands on her knees, waiting for him, expectant to know what the hell her boyfriend was plotting now.

He's back. And he looks happy and nervous. Those big puppy eyes looking so excited.

"There's something I've been wanting to ask you for a long time, and I've just decided that it's now or never." Tony kneels, naked as he is, on the bedroom floor, with the velvet box open in his hand. Then he pulls out the ring and puts the case aside as Pepper covers her mouth with her right hand, astonished with surprise. "Virginia, Pepper, Pep… My one and true love… Will you marry me?"

Pepper's blue eyes are open wide. Her throat has dried and she is unable to articulate any sound. Her body is a bunch of mixed emotions. To the soft peace of blessed post-orgasmic satiety, joins a feeling of pure love and tenderness that takes possession of her without control. Not even knowing how or why, she is shaking like a leaf, in the middle of the enormous bed, swinging back and forth. She can't believe it, this is happening, the moment with which she dreamed so many times. It's real.

"I… This is… Tony!" She reacts at last throwing a pillow to his face. Tony turns away with agile reflexes and the pillow bounces on the floor, like a dead weight.

"Hey! That means that you don't want to?" He asks in a barely audible tone. Nearly sad.

He lowers his gaze to the floor and Pepper panics. She doesn't want him to think that she doesn't want to marry him please... That isn't...

"No! Oh my God Tony I… This is so unexpected… We just decided to be together again. After months of heartbreak…"

The engineer raises his head again and stares intently at her, relieved. His eyes two merry chocolate wells shining with hope again.

"Pep, I know… Trust me, but four years ago I didn't find the courage to do it. I was going to ask you when I gave you the pendant on the Hilton rooftop, before we danced. But I finally couldn't. I was paralyzed with fear. And you know what? My worst fear became a reality. I lost you. But now we are here and I just thought... Why not? It's about time either way..." He took a deep breath "I can't lose you again. I physically can't. I want to share my life with you. I've wanted this for years but I promise you I can wait some more if you are not ready to take this step. Can you give me an answer?"

Pepper can barely speak, little tears of joy sparkling in her beautiful blue eyes.

"Yes" She finally blurts out.

"Good. That's progress baby. Relax, take your time… I'm not going anywhere…"

"Yes, Tony. Yes is my answer, you incredible fool. Of course I'll marry you. My life has been so empty without you in it. I've missed you so much. Your exploits, your crazy genius… All of you." Pepper leans towards him, cupping his face in her hands, then kissing him until he gasps.

When they part away, pure joy is reflected in Tony's face. Their faces less than a few millimeters away, both inhaling each other's breath.

"Oh, is that so, future Mrs. Stark?" Pepper's affirmative answer has restored his good mood and need to banter in nanoseconds. Tony is gleaming with joy and without further words he slides the diamond ring on the left ring finger of his beloved fiancee. Right where it belongs. "The diamond in the center was set on my mother's engagement ring." Explains the engineer in a whisper. "The rest of the little blue sapphires that surround it I had them carved for you. Then I put them togheter in the workshop..."

"It looks like a very small ark reactor. I see. Oh Tony, you are amazing"

He smiles happily.

"I think it's perfect for you... Do you like it?"

"No… I don't like it. I love it! It's gorgeous Tony. So special. You did it for me… And you kept it for all this years… Even after the break up. I… I'm speechless. I don't even know how did you…"

She was crying now, Tony leaned into her and hugged her against him. If only she knew… That he's been holding onto that ring for dear life since 2008… He's wanted to marry her since he came back alive from that cave… Since the very moment he knew he was in love with her…

But instead he said:

"I knew I never could give it to anyone else… So… My mother would have loved that you had it. It was you or no one."

"Tony, I don't know what to say… You are crazy sometimes, but we are who we are and that's why I love you. I will always love you. That I know for sure"

"Me too Pep, me too" He replied, holding her against his body, more excited than he remembered ever having been. A soft furtive tear of happines slides from his right eye and stops in the middle of his cheek "I always knew inside my heart you'd come back to me. Our story couldn't end like that."

Pepper pulls him up and onto the bed, gently caressing his hair and placing a soft kiss on top of his head.

"I am so happy to have you back Tony…"

"Pep…" He whispers against her damp cheek, full of happines.

He pauses for a moment placing his curious fingers over her left hand, rolling the ring on her finger.

"I knew you were plotting something. You were strangely quiet during dinner. But I couldn't imagine this. Oh my God. We are getting married!" She states looking into the sparkling diamond.

"Yeah, tying the knot" He reassures her. "It's happening Potts."

She leans over Tony to kiss him as they both slide onto the mattress. Pepper drapped all over him.

"Hey future hubby! I believe we were onto something before you left the bed…"

"Oh yes, I nearly forgot… wouldn't you prefer going to sleep and I could wake you up sexily tomorrow?"

Pepper pauses.

"I kinda prefer both"

Tony laughs.

"Both is good"

"Yeah"

They make love again and once spent in each other arms Pepper rolls over and draps her body around Tony. She knows how much he loves being the little spoon.

"Good night, my love" She whispers in his ear before falling sleep.

"Nighty night, my future wife" He retorts later.

As they both let themselves be dragged into the world of dreams, they think once again about the beautiful future that awaits them.

*************************************************************************************************************************************

In the morning, Pepper was absentmindedly toying with her engagement ring during breakfast when Tony approached her from behind, hugging her slender waist. She giggled and he kissed her cheek making her shiver.

"Good morning, my future wife" He said into her ear.

"Good morning, Tony" She answered turning back to face him. "Look, honey I've been thinking that we need to make our engagement public as soon as we can. But I can't wear this to the job or in public until we do. It just will ensure the gossip and the press would never leave us alone... I just want to make it right for both of us…"

He looked into her beautiful blue eyes, slightly puzzled but understanding. He hadn't think about the media, only them and his urge to finally propose to her. But now that she mentioned it. She was right… He caressed her hand slowly and toyed with the ring there, playfully.

"Oh honey you are right… I've been so stressed with Peter and everything this days I didn't even think about arranging a press conference… Okay let me keep it safe, then. We'll think on something."

Pepper beamed at him. Then her smile faded a little.

"It is hard to take it off. I love wearing it." She reassured his fiancé while giving the little ring to him. "But until everyone can know about our engagement… Keep it safe please"

Tony winked at her. "No worries. I know the perfect person for the job."

*************************************************************************************************************************************

A week later, the door of the press conference in the "Avengers Compound" suddenly opened and a bright in black Pepper Potts bursted trough it.

"Where's the kid?" She asked not seeing Peter Parker with her fiancé and Hogan.

"He left" Happy clarified.

"I have a room full of people in there waiting for some big announcement. What I am going to tell them?" She demanded to Tony.

"I'll think of something…" Wait a minute, Tony thought this is the perfect ocassion for our little public announcement. "Happy, you still got that ring?"

"Do… I… Uh… Are you kidding? I've been carrying this around since 2008!" He said searching in his pockets and finally finding it and holding it triumphally in front of them.

Pepper widened her eyes. So the perfect person for the job was Happy? The ring bearer? It was too good to be true… Wait a minute… He had been carrying the ring since 2008? Oh my god, Tony wanted to propose to her since 2008? She felt her insides melting with pure love.

"O…kay" Damnit Happy, Pepper didn't need to know that, Tony thought embarrassed… I gave it to you for a reason all this time I wasn't ready to propose… Anyway… Let's go…

Pepper looked back into Tony, suddenly she was afraid of making the engagement public. It meant the wedding was happening soon. And everyone will want to keep an eye on them both from now on. Their relationship was going to be more on the public eye than ever.

"I think I can think of something better than that…" She stated simply. She was slightly nervous.

"It will buy us some time…" Tony retorted unrelented. He had been waiting for the pefect moment and it finally had presented itself.

Pepper felt a wave of pure love course through her. Tony had been waiting to marry her for so long. This was real. It was happening. They were getting engaged and soon they'll be wed. She aproached him and kissed him sweetly on the lips, pouring all her love for him into the kiss, then smiled broadly after they parted. She went towards the door.

"I can't believe you've had the ring in your pocket…" She muttered in Happy's direction, yanking the door open.

"Want me to get the door for you, Hon?" Tony finally asked following her into the press room. He grabbed the door handle at the same time as he quickly catched the ring Happy tossed in his direction before following his Pepper in order to ask her again, but this time in front of the world, if she would make him the honor of becoming his wife.

********************************************************************************************************************************

The door of the press conference in the "Avengers Compound" opened again half an hour later. Happy smiled to himself. They've done it. They were oficially engaged in front of the entire world. He had seen the whole thing through the monitors in the hall. All the Tony kneeling in front of the press. Pepper crying and saying yes as she covered her mouth with her hand, trembling with emotion. The whole thing.

"So… We are definitely engaged then… Publicly… Even" Pepper stated looking at the ring, now in her finger again, when they both came back from the press conference.

"You said yes in front of the world, Potts. So technically you are stuck with me." He grinned at her. So happy and blissful.

Pepper was full of happines and giddiness herself.

"It was about time…" Happy added. "Congratulations to you both"

"Thank You, Happy" The couple said at unison.

"Oh and it was amazing you had my family ring on you. Thanks for that" Tony added.

"You said to keep it safe and that's what I did, boss. It was in the safest place. My pocket, always under my watchful gaze. You know you can always count on me. Both of you"

Pepper smiled an hugged Happy tightly.

"Thanks for keeping it safe all this years" She was smiling with joy.

"And now, what?" Tony suddenly asked.

"Now we need to start planning a wedding" Pepper said inmediately. "One everybody is going to want to put their eyes on by the way…" This fact made her a little nervous. There was a time she wouldn't have signed herself on for a big wedding. For all that people staring at her in a white dress. But now, she was marrying Tony, the love of her life, and the setting didn't matter to her anymore. Only the fact that she was going to share her life with him.

Tony took her hand in his and absentmindedly caressed the engagement ring there.

"It's going to be amazing, Pep" He smiled brightly at her.

"I know, honey. I'm really excited. I truly want it to be a day we both remember forever"

"We will" Tony assured Pepper giving her a kiss in the lips.

Hogan smiled at the beautiful couple and looked away, truly happy for his friends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I had this thing written two weeks ago (I know, I see the future). BUT I couldn't resist to tweak it up a little to add an explanation for they coming back together and the "Spider-Man Homecoming" spoilers about the engagement. ^^


	6. Honeymoon

**2018**

The hotel suite is quiet, except for the muffled sound Pepper Potts makes as she breathes. Tony Stark is lying on the enormous bed in silence, one arm carelessly leaning behind his head and the other slipping lazily over Pepper's body, placing soft caresses on her creamy skin, tracing a map with his fingers over her delicious scattered freckles. She remains wrapped around him, resting her head over his bare chest. Her gorgeous golden red hair, exquisitely scrambled, drapes over his shoulders and falls cascading over where Tony's heart beats rhythmically. He has always adored following the curve of her spine and dimples in the lower part of her back with his hands. Usually he would slide his hands over her yummy buttocks and squeeze them with delight. But now she is asleep and he doesn't want to wake her up, so he holds back a little while his fingers go up again, drawing circles on her left flank. They have the sheets tangled between them and their breathing is synchronized. Suddenly, as he roams his eyes over the room, Tony notices a fixed spot reflected on the wall in front of them.

Something glows in the dark. Throws small white flashes of light in all directions of space.

He can't take his eyes off the strange luminous phenomenon.

And suddenly he realizes what it is.

He must have been half stunned by the lack of sleep for not having noticed before. The dim lamp on the bedside table makes the metal shine. Tony smiles to himself at the thought of how he has always been terrified of this thing, or has pitied for years those, in his own opinion, poor unsuspecting souls who have let themselves be given one of these. Now he looks at it with delightful admiration because the only thing he can feel about the small object is love. Awe, even mild jitteriness. He has little butterflies flying wild inside his stomach, just thinking about how it is the material proof that he's just married his Pepper. He has this tiny white gold ring on his left finger to prove it. He even feels a terrible desire to show it off with pride to everyone.

Everything was perfect, he thinks exhilarated. Their big day was awesome, surprisingly without incident. No crazy villain or murderer came to spoil their party. He didn't fall headlong down the aisle, he didn't make any mistake with his vows (which he wrote and memorized only the evening before), he did not even spoil his speech. Tony is more than surprised, even euphoric, that something went well in his life finally. He can't erase even now the stupid smile of satisfaction that has been on his face since the officiant declared them, Pepper and him, husband and wife.

_He remembers so vividly the moment she walked down the aisle, so beautifully stunning, his bride. Pepper was all smiles as she joined him and their hands intertwined. He was nearly sobbing with emotion, Rhodey noticed beside him and squeezed his shoulder in order to calm him. It was the best man's duty after all._

_"My two favourite seals are finally getting married. Who would have guessed?"_

_"I had!" Phil Coulson said from a nearby bench. "But I thought it would have happened sooner. Sure Mr. Stark's fault…" He joked amused._

_"Hey, Not Dead Anymore Agent shut up! I'm already regreting sending you an invitation to MY wedding" Tony said looking in his direction._

_"I invited him to OUR wedding, honey. You were too angry at him because of all the fake death thing, remember?" Pepper sweetly added caressing his chin._

_Everyone had laughed. Tony blushed and looked away embarrassed. Now everyone knew he cared deeply about Coulson._

_"It was a long time coming. I thought they were already married when I first met them!" Natasha added from behind Pepper. It was the bridesmaid duty to keep the ceremony going._

_"I kept the engagement ring safe for him since 2008!" Happy added from behind Tony and Rhodey. "Speaking of rings… Kid you got the wedding bands?"_

_"Yeah, yes… I think they are in here somewhere…" Peter Parker stammered from behind him while searching all his pockets. First his pants pockets, then his jacket pocket._

_Happy rolled his eyes. "Giving this kind of delicate job to amateurs… It can't end well…"_

_Rhodey laughed and slammed Happy's shoulder playfully._

_"Yes, I found them!" Peter yelled giving the two elegant white gold wedding bands to Rhodey._

_Pepper and Tony laughed hard._

_Looking again into Pepper's eyes he added "Okay, sweetheart. Can we start with this wedding thingy before another of our friends makes fun of this handsome groom?"_

_"I don't know, honey. I'm enjoying myself so much" Pepper softly smiled._

_Then they expressed their mutual love in front of all their friends and family. Pepper was trembling when he put the wedding band on her finger and his eyes where bright with happy tears too when it was his turn to receive the proof of their comittment. When the officiant declared them "husban and wife" Tony felt happier than ever before in his entire life and swung his wife in the air and then kissed her tenderly and passionately in front of the cheering crowd._

_He smiles as he remembers that he was so happy during the after party and had even been so charming with Pepper's mother while dancing with her and had a beer with his newly found brother-in-law Daniel and Rhodey in total camaraderie. Everything had rolled so smoothly: the ceremony, the cutting of the cake... Even his first official dance with Pepper as a married couple. He had always been a good dancer and besides being with Pepper, what could go wrong?_

_Truth is he was also looking forward to the moment when the unmistakable melody that both considered their song, started to play. Tony looked for Pepper through the room. He located her at last, talking to Natasha Romanoff and Maria Hill in the far corner of the bar, and smiled fondly. He then took a deep breath and made his way to the center of the dance floor ready to perform. Pepper, the white goddess in that absolutely sweeping gown clinging to her torso, slid gracefully towards him, dragging the tail of the dress across the floor and giving him a huge fool in love smile, a faithful reflection of the very same that he must have been wearing himself._

_"Are you ready Mr. Stark?" She asked as he was there stunned, not losing detail of her full of happiness face, framed by two strands of gold reddish hair that fell loose from her bun._

_"Let's do this, Mrs. Stark" He responded finally. Taking her tiny hand in his and putting the other around her waist, drawing her to him as much as he could in a single movement, enjoying her closeness and the intoxicating scent of her skin. Pepper, in turn, slid her hand along Tony's arm and finally laid her other one on his neck, fiddling with the soft brown hair there with affection._

_Both began to move their feet gradually, wishing to be as close as possible to each other during the song. Tony widened his smile, happily._

_"What's that big smile for?" Pepper asked sweetly when she noticed, and smiled at him too._

_One of those smiles that could illuminate the whole room._

_"It's… It's just… We, Pep…" He said looking into those eyes that knew him so well, talking in a whisper so as not to break the magic of the moment. "I can't believe that we are really here, opening the dance, like any couple, having a normal wedding and a wonderful day. I wasn't sure we could be normal."_

_Pepper laughed again in a low voice._

_"Love is like that. We should both know it already, love is complicated, passionate, unexpected and many other things. But I wouldn't change my feelings for you, Tony. Not even everything we've been through to get here. You're my World."_

_"And You are mine" He answered in a soft murmur "You already know that"_

_She nodded as Tony turns her gently, following the rhythm of the song._

_By now all guests are gathered around them, watching them dance sweetly on the dance floor, and the photographer took several shots to capture the beautiful moment, as he had been doing all afternoon. Neither of them realized, however, because they were engrossed in their little world of two. Swinging in soft cadence and feeling each other to the beat of the music. Their loved ones starting to join them harmoniously on the dance floor._

_"You really want to spend the rest of your life with me" She states out of the blue._

_He smiled broadly at her. Noticing all their loved ones dancing around them._

_"Look where we are, wife. That's pretty obvious at this moment in time." Then he was serious again. "I want to spend it loving you, Pep"_

_She stared into his brown eyes intently._

_"I'm just sure of one thing. Having you at my side everyday it's always been the highlight of my life, Tony. And that could never change"_

_Tony smiled at her and leaned forward. His lips touched Pepper's lips slightly before moving again, searching for a deeper kiss. Pepper closed her eyes tightly before meeting his demanding mouth. They kissed while they danced and it couldn't be a more perfect moment. Pepper's hand on Tony's neck, pulling him hard against her, until she was sure to receive a good kiss from her brand new husband. His mouth opening a little wider for her. Deepening their encounter._

_A passionate kiss, sweet and full of love._

_Their eyes smiled excitedly as they parted._

_"I love you, Mrs. Stark" He said._

_"I love you too, Mr. Stark" Pepper assured him with damp eyes. Crying small tears of pure happiness._

_What came next was no longer so innocent and remembering it to the smallest detail puts a huge silly smile on his face as he recalled it. Their wonderful wedding night, just for them, in the hotel's biggest suite._

_The temperature between them began to warm up in the hotel corridor, their bodies yearning for contact. They had stormed into the newlyweds suite, Tony gathered up all his willpower to pause and take her in his arms, crossing the threshold together as the tradition dictates. Then they had continued kissing uncontrollably and giving each other desperate caresses, removing of their clothes as fast as possible._

_It was not without hard work and effort that he succeeded in unbuttoning her wedding dress, breaking all those damn little buttons off the demon, impatient for all the time it took him, then slipped it all over her body and throw it to the ground. It was impossible to unbutton them, so he simply pulled them off and broke half of them. He was barely celebrating his victory over the cursed garment, when Pepper whirled and screamed at him, seeing the tattered dress on the floor._

_"What did you do? You just destroyed my beautiful wedding dress! I wanted to keep it as a good memory of today!"_

_"It was imposible to take it off of you, Pep!" He tried to exlain. "What are you doing? Why are you looking at me like that?" Tony asked between excited and frightened. She was looking at him with fiery determination, a look that he knew too well since they were a couple._

_"You are oh so going to pay for this, Tony..." She whispered in his ear in that lusty voice that made his skin shiver and another part of his anatomy very awake._

_Then Pepper took charge of the situation, snatched his dress shirt open and pulled away his dark red tie. Then she kissed him in such a way that he forgot where he was and where he was walking to. Until it was too late, the alcohol of the party flooding his system and nullifying his coordination. He fell over the bed and then tried to get up, sitting in it. He looked up and found Pepper's sexy smile hovering over him._

_Then she gave a quick kiss to his lips and suddenly got up, the wonderful hotness of her skin going away from his eager embrace. She was enjoying teasing him too much for his own good._

_"Pep, come on it's our wedding night and your being such a teaaaaaa… Oh my God, seeeee"_

_Now she was in front of him dancing erotically as she kept taking off her underwear sensually, one garment after another, in a private striptease party only for him, until she was in only her virginal white garterbelt and tights. All her most delightful body parts exposed in front of him. So oh forbiddenly naked. For a final sensual touch she let go of her hair, undoing the bun in top of her head and letting the strands of gold reddish hair fall free over her shoulders. Such an erotic and enticing vision. As if the room wasn't warmer enough, Tony began to gasp, wide-eyed, waiting in anticipation for her next move._

_He was already so hard and ready for her._

_"You are mine" She said into his ear hoarsely. "Entirely mine" And then she took his mouth kissing him hard._

_The kiss went on until they both needed air to breath. Their throaths in flames._

_"Pepper… Honey…" Tony whispered hotly into her ear with his voice barely audible "I need you. That striptease was incredible but I want to touch you…Please…"_

_"I know, but I wanted to give you something special while I was wearing this sexy white lingerie." She said climbing into the bed, slowly crawling over him and resting there hovering over her husband's warm body._

_He raised his big brown chocolate eyes to look at her and quickly kissed her sweet lips. Then he took off his shoes and socks with two quick movements of his feet and sent them to the back of the room with a hard kick, along with his pants and his underwear, undressing fast, eager to feel Pepper's skin over his own._

_His full hard erection raised up between them. Her wife giggled at the sight of his arousal._

_"I figured you would appreciate a little teasing" She winked an eye to him._

_Pepper was so unbearingly hot and sweet in that moment. She seemed unreal._

_"It's been amazing honey. You just looked like some sort of celestial dominatrix ready to spank me so hard for being such a bad boy. Such an odd and erotic combination. It sure has been hot as hell, Pep" He sighed deeply, then playfully pinched her bare bottom._

_He smiled in wonder about the fact that his wife, understood his wishes up to that level. That she would know how he would appreciate something like that, without having to ask for it first. Being aware of the most hidden secret desires of his subconscious._

_"Oh sure, love. It would have been such a waste of a very great fantasy of yours..." She smiled devilishly at him._

_"We need to do this again…" He finally said as he sweetly caressed her chin with two fingers._

_"Yeah, but first I want you to touch me all night long, Tony… I'm dying to have you…"_

_She was so perfect and incredible. And totally his for evermore. Tony's heart swelled with pure joy at the thought._

_"It's what I want the most, my beloved wife" He said with a mixture of affection and joke in his voice "Come here…" He brought her over his body, changing their position, Pepper laughed in surprise, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing his goatee teasingly, as he placed her beneath him fondling every part of her body with his hands. "I need you so much, baby… You don't even imagine how much…" His brown eyes sparkled with deep and pure emotion. "It must be because now you are mine, more than ever"_

_"Oh Tony, yeah I get it. It's so hot just thinking about having you as my husband. Makes me want you even more…"_

_"Pepper…"_

_They kissed again, devouring each other softly. Both lit with a consumming passion, love and desire continued to slip between the sheets, rolling one over the other. The engineer carefully undressed her, sliding his hands up and down her precious legs. Then he got into position above Pepper and made love to her very softly, in slow cadence. He penetrated her, merging with her, both enjoying their intimate union. He lifted her upper body from the bed and embedded her against him, joining their mouths and interlacing their hands, wedding bands sliding over each other. They moved as a single body, all sensations unconsciously amplified by their new bond as husband and wife. Neither of them held back, leaving their emotions and their affection for the other to flow freely over the sheets of the enormous bed. Simply caressing each other with their hands and their mouths, making themselves enjoy each other thoroughly, serenely. Each piece of skin burning through the skin of the other._

Tony's breath is still stuck in his throat, remembering their intense wedding night. The vivid memories of this special day, which marks the beginning of the rest of his life. A wonderful wife who loves him and will always be with him... In a few years there may even be more in their home because Pepper and he could have a couple of naughty children... Tony thinks about how much he would like to have a girl with that beautiful gold reddish hair and Pepper's beautiful blue eyes, or a mischievous dark-haired boy always distracted into doing no good… He thinks about how it would be to have fun with both of them in the workshop, creating tools and repairing engines, just playing with his children... Yes, one day he will be ready to be a father...

Not right now, of course. It's too soon. He wants to keep Pepper to himself some more. But he's never thought about a brilliant future until now and feels such a joy in the fact of finally having that perfect family everyone dreams about. He always thought he'd die alone. Never thought that the family thing was made for him. But now he's never been so sure of wanting to keep something in his entire life.

It's just in that moment when Pepper moves over him, breathing softly in a whisper and stretching her muscles a little letting herself fall over Tony to rest there.

"Mmmm honey… Why are the lights still on?" She sleepily mumbles over his chest.

Tony looks down at the beautiful woman who is sprawled around his body, hugging him like a loving octopus.

"I'm sorry I woke you up, baby. I can't sleep. I was thinking about a lot of things… Before all this…" He pointed out to the scar in the middle of his chest she currently had her head resting on. "I only needed the ARK reactor blue light back then to be able to see in the dark." He pauses and smiles lightly. "But now I need to switch on the lamp" He doesn't say it to her but he loves to see her sleep peacefully by his side. It calms him when he has insomnia. Knowing she's so peaceful beside him. "It is bothering you uh? Let me switch it off."

Pepper opens a puzzled blue eye and looks at him.

"No, it's nothing love… But are you okay? I can't understand how you're not tired from exhaustion after all the strenuous activities of the evening and especially of the night..." The smile on her mouth is somewhere between tender and sexy.

A smile crosses Tony's face, unable to deny that the fabulous sex has exhausted him considerably, but it has been unable to lower him from his wonderful state of natural excitability. There is too much adrenaline rushing through his veins after all that's happened today.

"Oh well, how I am supossed to sleep when my reality is better than my dreams?" He sais happily.

Pepper breathes lightly over him, tickling his chest hair.

"Only you could display one of those cheesy one liners at 3 am in the morning." Tony laughs softly and kisses her on the head. Pepper repositions herself and looks up at him. "So, Mr. Stark what it feels like to be married?"

"With you? Oh it's so so awful…" He answers curving his lips in a faint, almost imperceptible smile.

Pepper strikes a soft but steady punch on his stomach, in that gesture so habitual that she usually keeps for his left shoulder. Tony laughs, openly wide this time.

"Only joking baby…" He starts talking trying to put on a straight face. "No, being entirely honest… I feel as if I could totally relax at last. Complete and strangely happy. Very, very happy." He finishes, his voice full of wonder.

Pepper bends slowly over his lips and gives him a slow, deep, sensual, romantic and passionate kiss that makes both their hearts explode with joy. Their tongues intertwine and they inhale each other for a wonderful few moments. It's a kiss capable of stopping the movement of the world in this same and unique moment just for the two of them.

"What was that, Mrs. Stark?" He whispers barely breathing when they part.

"You know it's Potts-Stark, Tony…" She remarks smiling happily.

"We agreed to use Mrs. Stark in bed. And we are still in bed."

She doesn't argue with him. Because he's right.

"I love you, Tony." She sais instead before falling back to sleep over his muscular chest. God, Pepper loves sleeping over this pillow.

Tony is out of breath still and so excited, but he regains his composure before following Pepper in pursuit of their well-deserved rest. She lies all over him, one of her small arms wedged over his hips, the other behind his head, tangled in the back of his neck, her whole body gloriously glued to his.

"Good night, my beautiful sweet angel" Tony whispers softly in her ear when he's totally sure she can't hear him.

Then he finally succumbs to exhaustion. Both sleeping soundly, as one in other's arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _"For all nights to be wedding nights_
> 
> _For all moons to be honeymoons"_
> 
> **Wedding Nights (a song by Joaquin Sabina)**


	7. Nightmare

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Special Thanks to my awesome beta: a-citizen-of-asgard because she's the reason my inner writer voice sounds right in English. Thank You Shannon for helping me when I needed you. You are THE BEST.**

**2012**

Tony is stirring uneasily over the huge bed he shares with his girlfriend, talking and screaming in his sleep as he sweats profusely.

_I am late. She's resting over a pool of her own blood. Why God? She is still alive but my rational brain tells me that she isn't going to be for much longer._

_I try to push these gloomy thoughts away from my mind without succeeding._

_"Pep, I'm here," I say, trying to comfort her. "I'm already here."_

_"Tony..."_

_Her voice sounds so muffled and weak. She must have lost too much blood. I curse in silence. I can't do anything. It's too late to save her. The aching pain courses through my veins and keeps my throat dry. I can't breathe anymore. I'm certain of losing the person I care the most in the world and it is unbearable, I just can't lose her._

_"Pepper… No!" I hopelessly sob as tears fall from my eyes. I can't stop them. "Come on, you have to fight a little more, sweetheart. I'll take you to a hospital. You will get out of this, I promise."_

_"Tony…" She whispers in a barely audible voice as she laboriously inhales her final breaths. "I…"_

_"No, Pep, no come on! You can't do this! I should have come sooner… Please, baby, please… Just stay with me… I beg you…"_

_"Tony… I… Love… You…" The three words leave her lips in a faint inaudible whisper. And suddenly her eyes close and her chest stops moving._

_She's dead._

_I feel the better part of myself dying with her and I hug her dead body against the metallic chest of my Iron Man suit feeling utterly miserable as my heart breaks into a thousand tiny pieces, once and for all._

_"Don't leave me! Nooooooooo Pepper Nooooo! Come back to me. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry…" I cry as I rock her body back and forth against my chest plate "Nooooooooooooooooo, babeeeee!"_

Pepper suddenly woke up, a little startled, until she discovered what had troubled her. It had been a scream, Tony screaming out of his lungs. Frightened, she turned to his side of the bed in time to see her boyfriend struggling with the sheets, totally drenched in sweat and with a grimace of horror plastered on his face.

Another nightmare, she thought. Surely about the time he was abducted, or about the space hole that opened over the Stark Tower during the New York incident. It happened most of the nights. She grabbed his left shoulder and shook it lightly. From experience she knew it was best to get him out of his subconscious mind as soon as possible, to spare him more suffering.

"Hey, Tony… Tony, wake up!" She tried to rouse him without success.

Determined to get him out of that horror, Pepper shook him harder. And then it worked. He woke up at last. Tony looked around still frightened. Suddenly he fixed his eyes on her, reached out and stroked her cheek gently, looking intently at her as if he couldn't believe that she was there with him, safe and sound. He tried long deep breaths in order to regain his composure.

Pepper was alright, she was alive. It was all a fucking vivid nightmare. Tony tried to calm himself.

"Oh, Pep... Oh God... Did I wake you up?" He babbled as soon as he regained control of himself.

Looking around, he realized that he was in his bedroom.

"Are you all right?" She asked, looking him in the eyes, worried.

"Yeah, it was just another nightmare... Again, but... It's nothing you need to worry about… Trust me… You're safe, that's all that matters."

Pepper looked puzzled.

"Did you dream about me this time?" She asked in disbelief. She was used to the other nightmares, they were always the same: torture, drowning in the water, choking in the immensity of space… But this seemed different.

Tony shifted his body slightly and hugged her tightly, barely letting her catch her breath.

"Pepper..." He whispered in her ear. "I dreamed that I was losing you and it was horrible."

The redhead drew him to her, comforting him, caressing his back in circles and placing a hand on the back of his neck, entangling her fingers in the sweaty curly hair there.

"Tony, it's already over. It was just a nightmare. I'm here and I'm not going anywhere. Calm down, breathe..."

"Pep..." He whispered in a moan. "It was so real... I can't lose you… Without you no..."

"Shhh" She cradled him, giving him a small kiss on the cheek. "Tony, I promise I'll always be with you."

"I would never forgive myself if something happened to you because of me. You are all I have."

"You are all I have too, Tony" She said right back.

The engineer pulled away from her embrace so he could look into her eyes.

"Pepper, I love you" He said solemnly. "That's what I wanted to tell you on the phone the day the sky opened and the damned aliens..." He stammered. "I love you, more than anything"

Pepper Potts smiled broadly. It had only taken him two years to verbalize his feelings for her. It wasn't like she didn't already know. But it was the first time he said it out loud to her.

"I love you too" She said bending over him to steal a small kiss from his expectant, parted lips.

When they parted, Tony smiled slightly. It had only cost him a near-death experience and a horrible nightmare to gather the courage to express his feelings out loud. He shrugged and smiled sincerely at the woman he loved more than his own life.

"You are my home, Pep."

"I know, and you are mine, Tony. You already know that…" She fondled his belly tenderly in order to calm him down.

He sighed happily, relaxing into her touch.

"Have you considered coming to live here permanently?" He suddenly asked.

"Like… Moving in with you?" She was surprised but pleased nonetheless.

"Yeah. I think it would be a good idea. I miss you too much when you leave…" He said sincerely. Eyes bright with emotion. "I feel sad and alone… The mansion's too big without you"

"I need to think about it. But it's not a no. I've been wondering about it myself for some time now…"

He bowed his head in a yes and stared at her.

"I'm just so glad you were here tonight"

"I'm glad I stayed." She caressed his chin sweetly.

Then, Pepper got up.

"I'm going to the kitchen to make some hot chocolate. It will help us to get back to sleep. Do you want to come with me?" Pepper knew that giving him a distraction would help him.

Tony tilted his head and looked at her in fascination. A moment later he followed her into the kitchen. He was already much more relieved and calmed.

Later, as he lifted the cup of steaming chocolate to his lips, in his restless brain he toyed with the idea that heroes never die and he would always be there to save his Pepper. Always.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **This is the last fic. Thanks for all the reviews, kudos and bookmarks... To all of you who praised my writting.**
> 
> **Hope you had a Happy Pepperony Week 2017**
> 
> **Thank You all for reading. ^^**


End file.
